Alphabet Drabbles
by sick-atxxheart
Summary: A-Z Drabbles from everybody over at HPFC! Mostly random, but all categories and characters. Thanks! Current: Cho needs someone. Also includes: Sirius wearing fangs, Parvati Patil's new year. Please review!
1. Vampire

**Welcome! This is the beginning of my A-Z drabbles that were challenges from HPFC. There will be 24 different drabbles, all from prompts that you all gave me!**

Title: Alphabet Drabbles  
Author: sick-atxxheart  
Drabble: V  
Prompt: "Vampire - Sirius always wondered what it would be like to have fangs." Given by 2Padfoot00Moony8.  
Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin  
Genre: Humor  
Warnings: None

_Don't want to close my eyes  
I don't want to fall asleep  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
_**_-_Aerosmith, I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing**

--

"Rawr!" Sirius Black sprang through the Gryffindor Common Room, teeth bared and hands flashing, a vicious noise coming from his throat. His long black hair was wild, framing his face with untamed frizz that he seemed rather proud of to those who knew him.

"Sirius, what the bloody _hell _are you doing?" Remus Lupin, the voice of reason, said loudly. His words sounded oddly weary and exasperated as he looked up from the heavy tome resting on his lap.

Sirius stopped dead and looked sheepishly over at his best friend, hands falling to his sides awkwardly.. "Erm... pretending."

"Pretending _what_?" Remus tried hard to keep his voice down, but Sirius' roars had already attracted the attention of most of the Common Room.

"Um... that I have fangs." Sirius shifted back and forth, trying and failing to look innocent, a small grin settling on his face.

"Right," Remus said, rolling his eyes and slamming his heavy, leather-bound book shut. "Of course you are."

Sirius looked hurt. "What? Don't you think it would be cool to have fangs?" A few giggles came from some girls across the room.

The look Remus gave him shut Sirius up immediately. "Right... forgot. Sorry."

Remus' cool nod forgave everything- no one can be expected to be perfect, and Sirius had always been good about keeping Remus' 'problem' a secret. But of course Sirius, being Sirius, couldn't leave something best left alone, alone.

"Well?" Sirius plunked down next to Remus on the couch.

"Well what, Sirius?" Remus asked, his eyes shadowing behind a hint of fear. His friend had way too much imagination and not nearly enough outlets for that imagination.

"Is it cool having fangs?"

--

"Mr. Black, could you please explain to me why you have green pieces of plastic stuck to your teeth?"

"De're phutangs, Pwofewssor McGogognall..." Sirius responded, grinning and clearly revealing the long, thin pieces of green plastic that were strategically placed throughout his mouth. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

James cut in before Sirius could make a fool out of himself anymore than he already had. "He says they're fangs, Professor McGogonall."

"Oh? And why would he be wearing... fangs?"

Sirius pulled the plastic pieces off his teeth and grinned widely. "'Cause I'm a vampire in disguise!"

"Yeah, and You-Know-Who wears a dress," Some kid across the room piped up. Sirius frowned, and Professor McGonogall's stern look deepened.

"What? Seriously, nobody thinks it would be cool to have fangs?" Sirius sounded extremely upset, and he stared at the green plastic in his hands. Snickers followed, and he looked around the room, seemingly confused. Remus and James both hid their grins behind their transfiguration books.

"That is quite enough!" Professor McGonogall exclaimed, her face furious. "Be quiet, all of you! Mr. Black, you do NOT have fangs, and you are NOT a vampire in disguise. Do you understand me?!"

A silence followed, and when Remus looked over, Sirius looked like he was crying, bent over his books. The room was bathed in tense quiet- what would Sirius' response be? He had a reputation that everyone knew of- sex god, bad boy, master prankster- the list went on and on, but the main point was that Sirius was unpredictable, and no one ever knew what he was going to do.

Sirius' hands twitches near his face, and just when Professor McGonogall was about to shout a demand for an answer, Sirius shot up, the green fangs in again, and cried, "RAWWWWRRRRR!"

Sirius' roars, Professor McGonogall's angry, indignant reprimands, and everyone else's laughs filled the room.

--

**Review! The song doesn't really fit exactly, but if you think about it in a friendship point of view, it does :)**


	2. New Year

**Title: **Alphabet Drabbles  
**Author: **sick-atxxheart  
**Drabble: **N  
**Prompt: **"New Year - Parvati Patil - preferably angst or romance." Given by msllamalover.  
**Characters: **Parvati Patil, Neville Longbottom  
**Genre: **Angst, Romance  
**Warnings: **Light, light fluff

_They're tryin' to come back, all my senses push  
Untie the weight bags, I never thought I could...  
Steady feet, don't fail me now  
I'm gonna run till you can't walk  
But something pulls my focus out  
And I'm standing down..._  
**-One Republic, Stop and Stare**

**--**

The crowd was bustling and busy as Parvati Patil sunk lower in her chair, watching the people pass in the bustle and commotion of the New Years' celebration. A drink, her favorite cocktail, was held loosely in her hand, just barely spilling its red liquid over the top as the dark-haired, dark-skinned girl mindlessly looked at the people passing.

Her twin sister, Padma, had long since left her alone at this tiny table, in favor of heading off with her current boyfriend, no doubt for a sexy make-out session that Parvati really had no desire to watch or be a part of. Over the years, they had grown apart- and Parvati was left feeling more and more alone as Padma seemed to branch out and become quite the social butterfly.

Someone roughly bumped into her, and Parvati groaned when she saw the huge red soak that was quickly spreading over the pavement from her spilled drink. She quickly rose, leaving the nearly empty glass on the table, and stepped over the puddle while smoothing out her midnight blue dress. She fought through the crowd, carefully avoiding anyone she knew, until she found a corner of a balcony that was suspiciously void of people. She took her place in that corner, leaning over the edge to look at the darkening sky and the stars that were slowly showing their faces.

Parvati Patil was not happy.

It was beyond not being happy for the moment- it was more like being unhappy for what seemed to be an eternity. The war was over, Voldemort was gone, and Harry Potter had emerged the victor. So what was left for these brave Gryffindors now? There was no need to stand up to anything anymore, for there was nothing left. The DA had long since disappeared.

The problem was, Parvati speculated, that she was not needed.

Throughout all their years in Hogwarts, she and Padma had always leaned on one another for support through their fear for the future. There had never been any definites- for any day they could lose their lives in an attack, or be taken away by their parents for 'safety'. It was like diving into the unknown- and Parvati had been ruled by fear. There had never been much room for them, once they had been in their sixth and seventh years, to make plans for the future- for that future had been so mulled and diluted by unknowns that it had been nearly pointless.

But now that she had an opportunity for a future, Parvati was lost.

A scream of excitement came from across the deck, and Parvati shifted to see someone popping the cork for yet _another_ bottle of champagne. It had been a mistake to come to this party, she decided- she had wrongly thought that shooting back a few drinks and just letting loose would be good for her, get her back in the swing of things and open up new relationships or whatever getting drunk really did- it wasn't like she knew, really. But now that alcohol was just on the haze of her brain after one drink, she felt even more sober than she had started as, if that was even possible.

The sky was so pretty, but Parvati wondered if it was hopeless too. It was always the same. It never changed, just like her life now. No hope for the future except to put the same face on every day, the same fake plastered smile and go face the world- and that, she decided, sucked.

She had just lowered her forehead to rest on the railing when a soft voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, Parvati."

Parvati quickly looked up, and her face brightened considerably when she saw Neville Longbottom standing awkwardly next to her. "Neville! Nice to see you!" She embraced him briefly before leaning back to her spot on the railing. "How have you been?"

Neville's silent shrug perfectly reflected her mood.

"Yeah. Me too."

Neville and Parvati had been close, seventh year at Hogwarts, when classes and life had essentially become hell thanks to the Carrows. They had kind of bonded together, mostly out of lonliness, and from that lonliness a friendship had stemmed. Parvati knew about Neville's parents, and he knew her deepest and darkest secrets- but after the war, their friendship had kind of just- _died_. Parvati had been saddened by it, but just accepted it.

"I can't really tell," Neville broke the silence, "if it gets harder or easier every year."

Parvati knew what he was talking about- life without his parents, moving on, day after day, seemingly alone. She felt the same way.

"This year's the hardest for me." She revealed, looking up at the sky again. "Everything's over. There's nothing left for me here. There is nothing worth fighting for anymore, nothing _to_ fight for- and that's hard, for me. Padma and I are-" she struggled for words- "-not the best of friends anymore, and all of my other Hogwarts friendships seemed to have died along with the war."

Neville nodded soothingly, or perhaps in understanding- she wasn't sure- and smiled at her. "It's hard, after all these years, to realize that things will finally be normal."

"I don't even know what normal is." The words were spat with a certain amount of venom- for the war had seemed to start before Parvati, or any of her classmates, had even been born, and normalcy seemed to be a goal that would _never_ be reached.

Neville smiled grimly. "I guess we really are that desperate."

Parvati nodded and moved closer to him to look out over the balcony. "Maybe the new year will be better... new horizons, new beginnings... leave all this bloody war behind."

Neville nodded. "I'd like nothing more than that... but then again, I guess my greatest wish will never be fulfilled no matter how many new years pass."

Parvati was silent for a long moment before looking up into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Neville. I wish there was something I could do-"

The first firework lit up the sky and cut off her sentence. Screams filled the air following it, and Parvati took Neville's hand gently as they watched the Wizarding fireworks light up the sky with various colors. All around her she could hear the cries of _Happy New Year_ and _Cheers_ and even the random _I love you!_ resound throughout the balcony, amplified by the amount of people.

"Happy New Year," Parvati whispered to Neville, smiling at him gently. "May the new year bring new things... for both of us. May our wishes be fulfilled... may we not be lonely anymore."

"Happy New Year, Parvati," Neville whispered back, building up his courage to kiss the beautiful girl gently."May the new year bring..."

The final firework lit up the sky, spelling _Happy New Year_, and Parvati smiled against Neville's lips.

Maybe things weren't as hopeless as they seemed.

--

**This is really pretty cheesy... but I hope you like it. I took some liberties with the prompt, I think, but tell me what you think in a review please!**

**Happy New Year!**


	3. Yourself

**Title: **Alphabet Drabbles  
**Author: **sick-atxxheart  
**Drabble: **Y  
**Prompt:** Yourself - "Think of yourself for once." Blaise/Ginny. Given by writingxonxwalls.  
**Characters:** Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley  
**Genre: **Romance/Angst  
**Warnings: **None

_10,000 miles  
My own true love  
10,000 miles or more  
The rocks may melt  
And the seas may burn  
If I should not return_  
**-Mary Chapin Carpenter, 10,000 Miles**

**--**

"Think of yourself for once, woman!"

The words were yelled across the room amid the torment of thrown objects, and Ginny Weasley ducked away from the violence of her boyfriend's tirade. She smiled to herself as she snuck closer, avoiding the books and papers and quills that were being thrown at her in no apparent order.

"You can't possibly come with me, and you know that! I don't have a choice in this matter, but you do-"

"Blaise." Ginny spoke the one word softly, standing directly in front of him. He blinked, as if he hadn't even noticed the fact that she had come to him. "Stop this." She gently rested her hand on his arm, lightly pressing down and leading him over to sit with her on the couch. The Slytherin Common Room was completely empty- Blaise's doing- and Ginny had to admit that she loved it inside that place. The roaring fireplace and the silver and green colors all exuded the flavor of coldness but the warmth of power. Despite her background with her family, the Weasleys, Ginny did love power- no matter how much she didn't want to admit it.

As soon as Blaise was seated, he leaned forward and placed his head in his hands, exasperated, weary, and ultimately sad.

"Blaise," Ginny said softly, looking at him hard, "you are, most of the time, the most selfish and vain person I have ever met."

He looked up, surprised- Ginny was bold, but she wasn't normally outright insulting, especially to him. This wasn't the first time they had fought, but this time it was about something real, and that scared Blaise.

"But this time," she continued, "I do believe that you are caring for someone besides yourself."

At that, Blaise stormed up again. "Of course I am, Ginny!" He exclaimed, his nearly black eyes lighting up with agitation. "What, do you think I'm fighting with you just for the fun of it?!" He looked at her hard, demanding an answer.

Ginny looked- and felt- a bit guilty for questioning his motives, for that was what she had been doing, after all; but doubt still remained, and her determination to come with him on a new journey was resolute and pushed her on. As a response, she simply shrugged, looking up at him sincerely and waiting for him to continue.

Blaise sunk down once again onto a chair, this time one a few feet across from where Ginny was seated. His words came out almost as if a whisper, and Ginny was nearly blown away by the meaning and seriousness that rested behind them.

"I'm fighting you about this," he spoke softly, "because I can't bear to lose you."

Blaise moved back over to where Ginny was and took her hand hesitantly, looking her straight in the eyes. "If you come with me," he explained, "you might- die-" He choked out the word- "-and then I would be completely and utterly lost. It scares me, Ginny."

It was Ginny's turn to be amazed at the other person's logic. She turned away for a moment, and Blaise waited anxiously, until she broke the tense silence by saying coldly, "And just how do you think I feel every time you go away?"

For the first time in his life, Blaise had nothing to say. Ginny had turned away from him again, and after a moment his head cleared enough to quietly swear under his breath.

He and Draco had always called themselves the 'experts' on women- they could get anyone they wanted, and manuever them every and any which way to serve their purposes. Blaise had wanted Ginny, and he had gotten her. He hadn't anticipated falling in love.

He would have never guessed that Ginny was in love with him, too.

When Blaise thought back on it, he supposed all the signs were there- he had just been too blind to see it, too caught up in being with her and his own feelings to see that Ginny was real, too. He had thought- blindly, of course- that she was so good to be so accepting when he had to go away. Death Eater business, it all was- they had already shared their views on the war, and Blaise knew how hard it was for Ginny to watch her boyfriend go and participate, unwillingly or not, in things she didn't believe in. He had thought for a while that she just didn't care- that thought had been quickly erased, though, just as quick as it had come up. He _knew_ she cared- his second guess was that she knew it was hopeless to stop him from going, and so she stopped thinking about it.

That obviously wasn't the case.

Blaise had felt more than his share of both fear and pain in his life, and he thought he had seen and felt it all. That was, until he met Ginny, fell in love with her inside himself, and then thought of losing her.

"That's real fear," he murmured to himself. Ginny looked up.

"What is, Blaise?" Her voice was cracking, but as always, she was being strong, and Blaise admired her for that- he always had.

"Losing the one you love," he answered simply, looking at her directly and unashamedly. It had been long enough.. maybe, when he thought about it, telling her earlier would have saved them all a lot of heartbreak.

Ginny's eyes softened. "Do you love me, Blaise?"

"Of course I do," Blaise said gruffly, awkward from emotion. "Why else would I be trying to protect you?"

Ginny shook her head as if to clear it. "I love you, too, Blaise, you must know that. But can't you understand how I feel? Every time you go- I am faced with the possibility of losing you, and it tears me apart."

Blaise hesitated, and Ginny watched in both interest and anticipation as his nearly black eyes seemingly changed colors with his emotion, aided by the flickering light of the fire. Ginny hoped with all her heart that he wasn't going to reject her, in that moment-

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Blaise's gentle, sweet kiss- different from their usual. As a standard, their intimate moments were always rough and passionate- but this one, this was tender and sweet. Ginny felt Blaise's hands come up to her lower back and pull her closer to him, and Ginny tangled her hands in his hair. Blaise bit her lower lip gently, and Ginny moaned softly, not wanting to pull away.

Blaise was the first one to break the kiss, and when he did he still held her close and looked at her intensely, directly in her eyes.

"I think we both care to much about one another to let go. But I'm not sure there's a solution."

Ginny's sigh and nod confirmed this, and the comfortable but contemplative silence that followed was only accompanied by the fire and Ginny shifting to rest her head on his shoulder. Neither could stand to lose the other- that had already been established- but the solution was being elusive, and in truth, Blaise was right. There might not _be_ one in the first place. Both had their duties to either the Light or the Dark, whether they were forced to participate or willing parts- but either way, neither could back out, as much as they wanted to.

For the time being, maybe making sacrifices- and truly caring for yourself- was all they could do.

Sometimes, love can't overcome everything. Sometimes, you have to think about yourself.

Blaise and Ginny made the choice to continue on. And if all was lost, then all would be lost. Both essentially had to think for themselves and not the other- for discovering that war even defeats love and forever can end a dream or break a heart.

They truly had to think of themselves- for the simple need of survival. Maybe one day, their love would be enough- maybe one day, the war would be over, and their love could be _real_.

--

**I really changed this one up... it wasn't really romance like the prompt, but I hope you all like it. Feel free to check out my list on HPFC and request which one I do next... or just read and review!**


	4. Love

**Title: **Alphabet Drabbles  
**Author: **sick-atxxheart  
**Drabble: **L  
**Prompt:** Love - any pairing, any scenario. Given by toffeecakesxox.  
**Characters:** Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonogall  
**Genre: **Romance/Angst  
**Warnings: **None

_This is the last night you'll spend alone  
Look me in the eyes so I know you know  
I'm everywhere you want me to be  
The last night you'll spend alone  
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go  
I'm everything you need me to be  
-_**Skillet, The Last Night**

--

_"No!"_

Her cry was piercing, and in the silence it echoed for what seemed to be miles. Inside the castle it resounded, echoing through the nearly empty halls with an audible wail and a ring of melancholy.

In one of the highest towers, Minerva McGonogall sat, her mouth open in a now-silent _o_ and her eyes wild with trepidation, sadness, and anger. Before her sat the now-aging Albus Dumbledore, his long white beard falling beneath the desk and his normally twinkling blue eyes dark. He, too, was sad.

"It can't be, Albus!" Her exclamation proved to Minerva that she was sounding like a child- even to her it was obvious and recognizable- but to be frank, she didn't care. The news the old man had just revealed was beyond comprehension- unimaginable, unbelievable- it couldn't be real.

_No._

_One year._

_That's all there was left. One year. And then he would die- lost in the war, lost forever. Their leader, the one man who had always been strong enough- he would be gone, gone from them. Gone from her._

Minerva felt a shy tear begin to trickle down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away. She _never_ cried- and when asked why, her only answer was that it made her feel weak. But now, sitting in the strangely decorated office, in front of a man she knew she loved, all pretense faded away. He was the only one who had ever truly seen her without her mask- _he_ was the only one who had ever seen her cry, who had ever been allowed to wipe her tears away gently.

"Minerva."

His voice was soft but serious, and she slowly lifted her face up to look at him. His blue eyes were twinkling at her, and under her breath McGonogall cursed his ever-present optimism. How could this be a good thing- a _good_ thing?! It wasn't, far from it, and she knew that.

"You planned this." Her accusation was spat at him, and Minerva was almost sorry for how venemous and angry her words sounded; but how could this _be_? She knew Albus had to have planned it. The man was brilliant- no details escaped him, and it was extremely rare for him to fail or be wrong. This had to be a set-up- how could it not be, when he told her about it with a look absolute calm on his face? He had already accepted it long ago. Albus was like that. Calm to the point of being practically uncaring- and Minerva would never tell anyone that, but Albus truly was. He cared, but _for the greater good_ was so engrained in his mind that everything else fell in line behind it.

Minerva's Gryffindor pride practically outweighed everything else in her life- but unlike Albus, she had _priorities_ that fell in line behind giving herself up for others. That, of course, was ultimately important in this war, and she had never once doubted it; but sometimes, Minerva wondered if Albus even put winning the battle before _her_, before life, even. That's what he was doing now.

By now, Minerva was crying steadily but silently- her tears were leaking down her cheeks, and she was trying her best to wipe them away, but in her anger and sadness she found that she cared less for the tears and more for the loss she was feeling. Before her Albus looked sad too, and suddenly he reached over and wiped away the tears- the gentle touch sedated Minerva for the second, and she looked up at him.

For the first time in her life, Minerva McGonogall watched Albus Dumbledore _cry. _

"Minerva," he finally choked out, after she had watched him for awhile. "You have to know that I don't want tit to be like this. Please, please believe me."

Her unsteady nod was unconvinging even to her, and steadily he rose and came over to her on the other side of his desk, his robes swaying as he moved and his long beard waving. In suit, Minerva raised to her feet also, almost not even feeling was like her mind was much now- she felt nothing but pain, and her words and her actions were almost routine. Not real.

Albus wrapped his long arms around her, and she comfortably settled her chin against his shoulder. They fit together so perfectly, and that was something Minerva had always loved about their relationship- not only did they fit together so perfectly physically, but emotionally they were almost always on the same page. They had always been forced to be strong, both of them- but here, breaking seemed like the perfect thing to do do- they only thing to do, in her eyes.

"MInerva," he murmured in her ear. "Please. You have to know I love you."

Against his shoulder, she shifted, and her emotions came out in words without her even meaning for that to happen. "You've never told me that before, Albus.

Startled, he pulled away from her and held her shoulders, his face close to hers. "What?!"

_Deep breath_. She told herself, before speaking again. "You've never told me that, Albus."

His sharp intake of breath confirmed her suspicion that he really did live almost completely inside his personal bubble. She had never had no doubt that he loved her- he had been the only one she allowed to come even close to breaking her mask, and wih her he shared most of his plans, even the ones that were too deep- and sometimes even _to Dark- _to be spoken of. But he had n_ever_ told her that he loved her, and because of that she had begun to doubt it. They had been together _so_ long, and gone through _so_ much- that maybe now it was just routine. Maybe now, to him, it had meant nothing.

_Maybe it was all a lie._

His gentle kiss interrupted her thoughts, and Minerva moaned into his mouth softly. They almost never showed intimacy- the fact that no one knew about their relationship was, of course, a factor, but they in a relationship had always focused more on talking with one another and knowing everything about the other than the actual physical aspect of it.

But this kiss- it conveyed everything Minerva had always dreamed of, and had never really experienced. In this kiss, there was actually _love- _real love, not the kind she had always inagined. Because this was trule, and this was real.

Against her lips, Albus murmured, "I do love you, Minerva. And I'm sorry it has to be like this."

She nodded slowly, resting her head against his thin chest and wrapping his arms around him. He did likewise. "I love you too, Albus. I always have. I just- I just don't u-understand h-how it can just end like t-this."

Albus' deep, shuddering sigh sent vibrations through her body. "I don't understand either."

"But- but didn't you-" her words were hesitant, questioning. Never before had she been afraid to ask Albus something, and this was strange to her.

"Plan this?" He took another deep, steadying breath. "Yes."

"Then how-" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes boring into his. He was quite a bit taller than her, and she had to look up to see his face.

"How can I just accept this?" His question was quet, and Minerva nodded at him, looking completely serious. He sighed deeply again, and with the next four words he spoke Minerva understood.

_"It's the only way."_

It was the only way. To give his life for the war- that had long ago been ALbus' destiny, and she had actually acepted it long ago too. She had ignored the feelings that it would be inevitable, someday, that one of them would die and leave the other alone- but now that she was faced with it, there was nothing she could do- nothing, that is, but enjoy the time they had. That was all.

"I do love you, Minerva. And I'm sorry it has to be like this. But we still have a year."

"One year," Minerva echoed. "One year left."

--

**This was really... different. But the prompt was really open... and so i did this. I hope you enjoyed it. I've never really seen anything like this written before, and it was my first time writing Minerva/Albus. Hope you liked it. Please review. Feel free to request a couple, as there are a few open prompts where I can choose some of it. **

**Review! Make me happy! :)**


	5. Princess

**Title**: Alphabet Drabbles  
**Author**: sick-atxxheart  
**Drabble**: P  
**Prompt**: "Princess - Ron/Cho." Given by Snow-Redd  
**Characters**: Cho Chang, Ron Weasley  
**Genre**: Hurt/Comfort, Romance  
**Warnings**: None

_It's just another war  
Just another family torn  
Falling from my faith today  
Just a step from the edge  
Just another day in the world we live  
I need a hero to save me now  
I need a hero  
_**_-_Skillet, Hero**

**--**

Ever since Cedric had died, Cho had felt alone.

She was always, always, _always_ alone, no matter how many friends she surrounded herself with or how many secrets she told and gossip she spread. She always felt alone, and couldn't quite shake that feeling. The tears that she shed in those moments could have filled an entire river, she thought; being alone had always been her greatest fear, but now it felt like she was constantly drowning. She couldn't escape. She could never escape.

Cedric had made her feel loved; it was just his personality to treat everyone he met with a certain respect that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She had loved that about him. He had made Cho feel like a queen, _his_ queen- and that had mattered more than anything. She loved feeling special; she loved _being_ special to someone.

The halls at Hogwarts seemed empty without his smile warming her heart and his embrace comforting her constantly. Cho felt rather awkward to always, _always_ be crying; but she figured that everyone truly did understand. They _had_ to know that she had lost something so huge that the hole in her heart couldn't be filled that easily.

She could, of course, hear the girls scoffing at her tears; they thought her and Cedric's love hadn't been _real_, that the loss of it shouldn't matter _that_ much. They had laughed at Cho behind her back.

She had just ignored them, because they didn't- couldn't- understand.

It had been just a normal night for her; she had made personal plans to go sit up on the top of the Astronomy Tower and most likely cry her eyes out for what seemed to be the millionth time. She had expected, even wanted to be alone- but that was what Cho always told herself. She wanted, needed to be alone according to her head- but her heart said different.

It was why, that night, she was surprised to see none other than Ron Weasley standing there, looking out over the railing. It was almost as if he was waiting for her.

For a few brief moments Cho considered going somewhere else, but she changed her mind after seeing how desperately beautiful the sky was that night. The stars were sparkling brightly, and the moon was just peeking out from behind dark clouds. It was a breathtaking sight.

Making up her mind, Cho sighed quietly and took her place a few steps away from Ron, leaning just slightly over the railing. She didn't know the redhead very well; she mostly knew him only to be Harry's best friend and most of all a Weasley, but she had heard from Luna that he was a loyal and brave person. She respected that about him, but yet she still kept her distance.

Ron looked over briefly when he heard Cho's gentle footsteps, and it took him a few minutes to get up the nerve to move over and stand next to her. He leaned similarly across the railing, staring up at the moon. She looked over at him for a minute before just staring back up.

Ron took this as a sign that his precense didn't bother her, and with this encouragement he spoke up.

"I'm- erm- I'm sure you've heard this a million times," he began, taking a deep breath as she turned to look at him again, "but I really am sorry about Cedric. I didn't know him well- but I mean, Harry knew him better than I, and- erm- he said he was a great person."

His whole sentence came out in one long breath, and abruptly he turned his face again. So fast, in fact, that he didn't see her eyes soften.

"T-Thank you," she said quietly after a moment. "Everyone's said it to me- but I don't know how much they really mean it."

"I mean it," Ron said quickly, turning back to her. "Hermione says I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, whatever that means, but I really do mean it-"

"I know you do," Cho cut him off, smiling. "And thanks."

The silence following their brief exchange was both awkward and comfortable, and Cho was glad when Ron broke it.

"So- I'm not meaning to sound rude, but-" Ron did indeed look awkward, and Cho almost laughed- "-But I have to ask, did you come up here to cry again?"

Cho couldn't hide her surprise at her blunt question, but she was amazed to find that she really didn't mind him asking. "Probably, yeah," she answered. "I- I can't seem to help it. He meant so much to me-"

Ron nodded slowly. "You know," he said, looking at her, his hands twisting nervously, "my mum used to always tell me that this is war, and people die. When I was little, I never believed her. I didn't understand what _death_ was. But now that we're faced with it- bloody hell, right in our faces, it is- I kind of realize now that sacrifices have to be made. And sometimes we might not think they're worth it... but we're gonna win this war someday, Cho. We're gonna win it- and it's gonna be then that Cedric will be remembered especially. He's a hero, he is, and he'll always be with you."

Cho was crying by that point, and she didn't even mind when Ron wrapped her in his strong arms and cradled her face to his chest. It just seemed _right_. Ron was whispering comforting words in her ear and stroking her hair, and Cho couldn't help but wonder when he had gotten so _sensitive_, so _caring_. Did he care for her? She didn't even know him.

Cho could tell his next words were not meant for her to hear, but she heard them anyway. "You're beautiful," Ron had murmured almost inaudibly in her ear as she cried. Cho just snaked her arms around his back and pulled herself closer to him- even though the feeling of this almost _bliss_ was new to her, she certainly didn't mind it.

If she couldn't be a queen, then she'd just have to settle for princess.

--

**Sorry it's been so long. Please review?**


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